Keeping Secrets
by Zelha
Summary: Karin, Suzuna and Mamori share a girly moment. And Taka is being a dork, as usual. TakaKarin, implied HiruMamo, Takami/Wakana and SuzuSena. Oneshot.


Disclaimer: I don't own shizz, not even a damn football!

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**Keeping Secrets**

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"I didn't realize you were in the substitutes' team, Karin-nee!" Suzuna exclaimed behind her cup of hot cocoa. "To be honest, I thought that man only picked the strong guys on the Japanese teams."

'That man' happened to be none other than the feared Kongou Agon, Karin thought with a nod.

"I was surprised too," she admitted to the other women at the table, where Mamori and Suzuna were sharing a plate of grilled chicken, while Karin was happily consuming a Caesar salad. "I was about to say no, but Takami-shi told me that I could be useful to the team. I didn't do anything on the field, though, but it was nice to be there, just in case."

"How nice of him, he's always trying to get everything in perspective," Mamori noted with a smile. "He's pretty smart, that Takami-san."

"I bet that's why Wakana-chan is so smitten with him," Suzuna said with a giggle, while the redheaded Deimon manager looked chagrined. "Oh come on, Mamo-nee, you know it's true!"

"Be as it may, Suzuna-chan, we can't really know if they're together," she chided. The dark-haired girl just crossed her arms and muttered something that sounded like 'as if we don't know about your own dirty secret, sure.'

Mamori ignored her, turning to Karin. "I'm glad you got the chance to be there, Karin-chan. You're a wonderful quarterback."

The blonde blushed faintly and smiled. "Thank you, but I don't think I'm that good. I can't be compared with Kid-shi or Hiruma-shi... my own teammates sure are something else, but – "

"Don't look down on yourself, Karin-chan," Mamori shook her head. "You're very skilled, your accuracy rivals those of Kid-san's and when it comes to your dodging abilities, you perform as well as, if not better, than Takami-san."

Karin's blush got rosier, as her eyes strayed to the rest of the hall. Everyone was having dinner and relaxing after the triumphs of Japan over Russia and Militaria, waiting for the match against Germany. They were strong, as Yamato noted when Karin met up with her Teikoku boys, but apparently they weren't at America's level. Those five players, the American Pentagram, were the most worrying in Heracles' opinion.

He was absolutely right, of course. When Achilles told Karin about the skills of each American player, she tried to subdue the sudden chill that shot down her spine. A man that was faster than Sena-kun and Yamato; the second possessing a cunning, plotting mind that might be at Hiruma-shi's level; the third, this one a linebacker, surely rivaling the skills of Shin-shi and Kongou-shi; the fourth, a player with such power that Heracles, Achilles, Kurita-shi and even Gaou-shi might be in danger, real danger; and the fifth, a man whose catching skills were on par with Taka's and Raimon-kun's.

Karin had intended to have dinner with her friends, but she got dragged along by Suzuna in order to have some "girl time" with her and the Deimon manager. It had been nice, being a girl among girls for a moment, but soon enough she felt the urge to sit next to her friends – _next to him_ – and truly feel part of the team, once more.

The glance she caught Taka sending over his book in her direction meant everything.

Taka knew she was worried for Team Japan – it was expected, now that she grasped the concept of how insanely strong their opponents were – but no matter how hard they had tried to convince her to go back to Osaka, she had refused, as steadfast and stubborn as a rampaging lioness when someone threatened her cubs.

Yamato had calmed Achilles' frantic reasoning, knowing how he got when Karin's safety was in the picture. Heracles had protested as well, but she reassured them – all of them – with the statement they were dying to hear.

She wasn't going to play against America.

Karin had watched as all of her Teikoku comrades (and some of the Shinryuuji and even the Taiyou ones) heave a sigh of visible relief at her words. She wasn't suicidal; when Heracles told her about the abilities of the quarterback of the American Team, she knew she was nowhere near his level. This was their challenge, not hers. She was well aware of that, and Taka knew she had passed the torch to them.

Still, that didn't stop her from staying with them, even if it was for moral support from the bleachers with Mamori. When he asked her about this – a whisper no one heard over Achilles and Heracles' bickering, that no one noticed because Yamato wasn't paying attention – she gazed at him so fixedly that he had seen all her feelings piling in her eyes. She didn't need to say a word.

Anxiousness, nervousness – _fear_.

She was afraid for them. The American Pentagram had to be brought down, that she knew, but at what price? How many of her comrades – all the guys were her comrades, Team Japan needed to be close knitted to be at America's level – had to fall under the pressure, how many were going to be injured to push the score in their favor?

Where he sat a few tables away, Taka noticed her shivering, almost certainly thinking the same thing as he was. He saw Deimon's manager and cheerleader trying to get her out of her funky mood, but he knew better. That little smile was just to placate those around her.

Taka could see she was terrified.

Glancing at Yamato, he directed his eyes back to Karin, giving the former Eyeshield the hint he needed. Both men stood and made their way to the women's table.

"Karin," Yamato greeted pleasantly, "Mamori-san and Suzuna-san, are you enjoying your dinner?"

As the other girls chattered with Yamato, Taka's eyes fixed on Karin's. He saw how she sighed deeply; finally relaxing that muscle in her back that always gave her feelings away.

"Very well," Yamato said, a smile always in place. "We'll leave you ladies to your own devices. Karin, did the hotel manager find you a suitable accommodation?"

She nodded, smiling a bit wider now. "Yes, he ordered for a bed to be added in Mamori-chan and Suzuna-chan's room, that way I won't be in a room all by myself."

Yamato seemed pleased – and somewhat amused, shooting a look at his long-haired friend before nodding. "Excellent. Please take care of yourself and don't go to bed late!"

Karin let out an embarrassed laugh before agreeing, and with that, both Alexanders returned to their table. Suzuna seemed puzzled, though.

"How strange for them to stop eating to come here," she mused, her eyes on the Teikoku table. "I haven't seen a man willingly getting away from his dinner to leave the table, even for the bathroom!"

Mamori laughed. "That's because our Devil Bats are always bent on finishing their dinner first, they're always competing with each other."

"Just like Mamo-nee and You-nii are always arguing!" Suzuna said with a giggle. To Karin's surprise, the redhead blushed furiously, sputtering and glaring at the cheerleader in dismay.

"Suzuna-chan!" she reprimanded, but the younger girl was too busy laughing to be properly chastised. "It's not what you think!"

But Karin had caught the meaning of Suzuna's words, smiling slightly as she noted the black laptop case that was hung on Mamori's chair. It was rather obvious whose that computer was, seeing as she had noticed the blond-haired Devil typing efficiently on it before the match against Militaria.

It was nice to get the opportunity to interact with girls from time to time, she decided, as she watched Suzuna jumping off her chair and going to Sena-kun's side, face excited and happy as he leaned in to listen to whatever she was whispering to him.

Mamori sighed and shook her head, recovering from her flushing fit.

"She's seeing things," she attempted to explain. "I apologize, it was--"

"Don't apologize, Mamori-chan," Karin reassured her with a smile. The Devil wasn't around, but she was willing to bet that he was also keeping tabs on the redhead. "She's a free spirit, it seems."

"You're lucky she didn't ask you about your love life," Mamori muttered, disgruntled. Karin chanced a glance at Suzuna, only to find her looking at Taka, then at her.

The sudden grin that spread on the cheerleader's face almost made Karin's blood run cold, while her face flushed as red as the Deimon manager's did just a few minutes before.

Apparently, Mamori had noticed Suzuna's stunt and Karin's reaction, for she let out a huffed laugh. "Took her long enough," she murmured. "We saw him at the match against Russia, he was so tense! He actually jumped in his seat when you stood up to get the Gatorade bottle for Takami-san. I bet he thought you were going to go on the field," she concluded, watching Karin's flush deepening, as the blonde lowered her eyes in mortification. "Don't worry," she added in a whisper, "your secret is safe with us."

"...Alright," she relented, feeling a connection with the Deimon girls. "I think it's fair to say then, that your secret is safe with me as well."

Mamori looked at the laptop case and smiled, a blush dusting her features. "I... alright, deal."

Both girls giggled.

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_~ Tenna' ento lye omenta ~_

-XxX-

**AN:** Kekekeke, this will be the last of the TakaKarin spree, sadly, merely because I'm all pumped up with the match currently happening in the manga. 8D I can actually see Pawsies' pout, but seriously, I can't think about anything else, hehe. (Paws, gimme moar evil!Kitty nip!) XD

This shot was a conjunction of ideas that the thoughtful Leocookie brainstormed with me over at my writing LJ, so I dedicate this one to her. Hope you like it!

Once more, I'd like to send tons of love and eternal gratitude to my dearest beta RapturesRevenge, for proofreading this story even if she doesn't know shiz about ES21. She's even trying to get me out of my Amefuto fever, to no avail, hahaha. But I shall persevere and drag her down to the awesomeness of ES21! -cackles like a psycho-

Thanks for reading!


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